Freud Was Right
by PiManWillSaveUs
Summary: Where will Colby's unconscious take him? Oneshot set after Janus list and before anything in season four.


Ok so after we found out that Colby "was a traitor", I went into horrible denial and insisted that he and Megan would get together anyway, no matter what. I came up with this scenario over the summer. I am fully aware that it's extremely far-fetched, overly optimistic, and I know I took a LOT of liberty with the characters. But it's been fun, and that's what fan fiction's for.

Disclaimer: Although I am fairly positive that anyone who could sue me does not spend their time searching through thousands of Numb3rs fan fiction stories making sure that no one thinks they own Numb3rs and does something stupid and bad for the network, here it is: I am fully aware that I do not own Numb3rs.

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_A spy? That's what you think you are? You're no spy, you're a traitor._

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Colby Granger was lost. Hopelessly, desperately lost in a part of LA he had never been in, and hoped never to return to. And having just escaped from a high security prison, asking for directions was not an option. His only alternative right now was to keep moving, keep his head down, and pray that Don wasn't as good at tracking down fugitives as Colby knew he was.

While he was wondering around, Colby learned something about having seemingly all the time in the world with no where to go and no one to talk to: you have a lot of time to think. And after and hour of "shit shit shit what am I supposed to do now?", your mind turns to other topics.

Colby also learned that when you're on the run, some thoughts that continually pop into your head are: "Where am I going? What am I running from? Would it really be all that bad to go back? Will it really be all that bad to never see it again?"

It was when it started getting dark that Colby pushed all these thoughts back somewhere into his subconscious, and all of a sudden finally felt like he was getting somewhere. He was walking, yes, just like he had been all day, but now he knew where he was going. Or at least, something in him knew. It was as if his legs were no longer powered by his brain. And he felt more secure in that moment, than he had all day.

After a few hours, Colby finally found himself somewhere familiar: downtown. Well, no, not really, more like in a cute little residential area right on the outskirts of downtown. Colby couldn't remember when he had been here before, but this one apartment building looked familiar. He turned to get a good look and…

He knew. Now it all made sense, although he still couldn't figure out how he knew how to get here. Man, if Freud was still alive he could write a whole book about how Colby's unconscious feelings, regret, and guilt had lead him, quite literally, right to Megan Reeves' front door. He was still in a haze; he felt like he was living a dream. Colby took a breath and stepped into the building. He had no idea what was going to happen, but figured he shouldn't try to resist whatever force had gotten him here. He got into the elevator and pressed the numb3r of her floor. He was surprisingly calm for being a fugitive about to walk into the apartment of a federal agent. And one who he knew could kick his ass, no less.

He was at her door. He still didn't feel like he was fully in control of his body as he reached for the doorbell and rang. He waited. And waited. It still hadn't occurred to him that she was probably in bed…or maybe still at work…or out. But finally she came to the door in her cowgirl pajamas and…

The haze was gone. Colby was violently pulled back to reality as Megan saw him and reached for her gun so fast he didn't know what was happening.

"W…what are you doing here?" she said. She looked more shocked then angry. Colby could only hope that was a good thing.

"What are you doing here?!"

Oh God, now she was angry. But Colby was frozen; he couldn't find a thing to say. He was starting to see how bad of an idea this was.

"I'm calling Don." She pulled out her cell phone and started dialing.

"No!" He yelled, and tried to grab the phone from her. She just raised the gun higher towards his face. "Then why are you here?"

"I…um…"

"How did you even know how to get here?" She had one hand on the trigger and the other on the "send" button.

The problem here was that Colby had no idea how or why he was here. All he could to was stand there with a stupid look on his face, mentally slapping himself for coming at all.

She stared at him. Colby had spent a lot of time looking at her in the office, and he could usually tell what she was thinking just by her face. But this was like nothing he had ever seen. Horror, confusion, anger, disbelief, and disappointment.

"That is sad. Sad, Colby Granger. You…you…" Megan was so angry and confused that she couldn't even get words out. "I'm calling Don. You're going back to jail where you belong."

"No! Megan please!" This is where he would have reached for her hand if they weren't both already holding things that could kill him. "I need to explain. We worked together for such a long…it's got to count for some… just please, please let me explain. I swear this wasn't my fault"

Megan was considering, and Colby knew he shouldn't say anything else until she was done.

She gave in. "How is this not your fault, Colby? Did someone posses your body and _force_ you to give the Chinese top secret information?"

"It wasn't like that I," He tried to walk in but Megan blocked his path. "They forced me. Megan I swear I didn't want to. My friend, he was in on it. He told someone that I was in the FBI and they…made me do it."

"You're going to need to come up with something better then that." she snapped " They forced you? Colby, you were a FBI agent. You carry a gun. You have a license to kill. You were in The Army for years. If you needed protection you could have gotten it in a heartbeat. How could they possibly have forced you?"

"They…" Colby stuttered

"They what Colby?! THEY WHAT?!"

He didn't say anything. He couldn't bring himself to tell her.

"This is ridiculous Colby, I've already broken the law by letting you talk to me at all." Megan, still holding the gun inches from his face, pressed send on her phone. He could hear the ringing on the other end.

Shit. Don would kill him. Literally. The secure feeling he had had coming here was long gone. He needed to tell her. Colby took a deep breath: "My daughter. They were going to take her away from me."

Megan's look of anger suddenly turned to pure shock. He had never said anything about a daughter. She didn't even know he was seeing anyone.

"Epps." Don had picked up, but Megan was still so shocked she didn't respond. "Hello? Hello?"

She snapped back to reality. "Oh, um…Don? Oh sorry, I…um…I dialed you by accident."

Colby couldn't hear what happened after that, but she said goodbye and closed the phone.

There was a moment of silence. Megan lowered her gun. "Come inside."

Colby walked in the door cautiously, keeping his eyes locked with Megan's. She didn't trust him; he knew that. But Colby could tell she wasn't about to try and kill him again.

Megan seemed to relax. There was a couch right behind her, but she didn't sit down. She crossed her arms but kept the gun in her hand. "You have five minutes to explain yourself. Colby, I have no idea why I'm doing this. I'm cutting you way more slack then I should. Way more. So go. Convince me you deserve it."

Colby could still feel the intensity in her voice. Eyeing the gun still in her hand and the cell phone in her pocket, he began.

"I've got a daughter, Megan. I fooled around in High School and…" his voice trailed off, and there was a tense pause while he decided how much to admit to. Megan was listening, but still had a hard look on her face. "Well…She didn't want to keep the baby, I did, long story short, I ended up adopting my own daughter. My family and friends were really good about it; helped out when I was off in Afghanistan and stuff. But what ended up happening was that." He paused. " I had some post traumatic stress problems after Afghanistan. Child services were on my tale already just being a single dad and all and…the Chinese found out, put two and two together, threatened to tell and have them take Haley away from me. That's how they forced me."

Colby was looking at the ground now. He was waiting for that good feeling people say you get when you finally tell your secret. Waiting…waiting… It didn't come. Colby was simply filled with apprehension; not knowing what Megan would do or say next. There was a silence

"Why me?"

"What?"

"Why me? Why come to me?"

There was a pause.

"I don't know. I just did. I guess maybe it was that subconscious crap you're always talking about. Jung right?"

"Freud."

"Yea Freud. You know, repressed unconscious feelings…" Realizing what he was admitting to, Colby stopped himself.

Now she got it. There was a comfortable silence, and a knowing look exchanged between the two of them.

"I love you too." Megan dropped her gun on the couch, and without giving it a second thought, because it just felt like the right thing to do, Colby leaned in and kissed her.

The broke apart, and he gave her one of his cocky smiles. She rolled her eyes. "You're pathetic."

Colby grinned, and slowly moved towards her again. "I know."


End file.
